Going against our past business model, we will be offering huge discounts that day on some items. We always try and offer the best prices year round and I think my own dislike of shopping on Black Friday impacted my decision not to previously have sales that day. Plus even the over commercialization of Christmas doesn’t sit well with me. I realize its not been the smartest business choice, but to put it simply...I don’t care. Add to that, surprisingly the most conflict and upset customers I experience is always related to sales and/or giveaways. We give away many thousands of dollars of items on our customer appreciation Memorial Day event, besides what the manufactures donate, yet we still have a small number of people complain about something. Tends to be a little frustrating.

One of the main reasons I am going away from that business model this year is the offers from some manufactures that are too good to not pass along. Unlike years ago, these same manufactures tell us how much we can sell things for and when we can do sales. I can live with that, I am used to following orders....(been married for 40 years). So please understand that I do need to stick to their rules. The sale that put me over the edge is from Ecotech. We are a Preferred Seller for Ecotech products thus if you're thinking of buying a VorTech, this is the time. 20% Rebate! Here is their promo info and their rules:

The Ecotech sales team has been approved to offer a Black Friday promotion for our key retailers. Upon qualification, stores will be able to offer their customers a 20% manufacturer’s rebate on all VorTech Pumps (MP10ES, MP10wES, MP40wES, MP60wES).

This promotion does not affect the current MRP price of Ecotech products. The promotion is in the form of a rebate that will be submitted by the end user and honored directly through Ecotech Marine.

Only product sold by retailers that have opted in will qualify (see below).Only product sold from Friday Nov. 29th at 12AM EST through Monday Dec. 2nd 12PM EST will qualify.To obtain the rebate the end user will need a valid receipt from an opted in retailer that shows the date and full MRP purchase price of the VorTech Pump.To obtain the rebate the end user will need to complete a rebate form available online and mail it in with a valid receipt.

They are very strict so I do not have a lot of flexibility to vary from the above rules. I can take orders over the phone/email or PayPal if you can not make it in, but must be in that time period. The other issue is inventory. I have no clue how many I will sell, so I could sell out quickly. I will put all back orders in on the following Monday and should have them in stock before the end of that week. So you wont have to wait long if I do sell out. Your rebate will still be honored since you purchased in the required time.

Dry rock or Live??? There has been a trend towards using dry rock rather than live. The thought is not to introduce pests. I can simply tell you from feedback that I do not see a significant reduction of problems long term. I have countless customers that go the dry rock route that have the same issues as those that use live rock. Every time a new coral is added, or a freshly cleaned frag (to make it look great) is added, you are still at risk. Quarantine/dip all new additions, not fool proof but it helps. Flatworms, red bugs, nudis...all a much more common problem than what comes on the live Gulf rock.

I find things that I like about both, though on a new setup, people that use live have significantly less short term problems with algae issues and livestock losses. Particularly true for those who tend to stock quicker than advised. (Only about 90% of our customers...lol) Long-term, a wash.

Reef Saver Dry Rock - $1.90 lbLive Rock - Very Nice! $3.50lb

Finally, on Black Friday only...All Livestock will be discounted!Most corals will be at 30% off, some more! We will mark the tanks showing the discount percentage on the livestock. All fish will be at 30%. Clams at 20%.The livestock sales are only for Black Friday, sorry no exceptions. We are open our regular hours that day 10am- 6pm. All hard good sales good thru the weekend as supply lasts.

Please remember our soldiers and their families during this upcoming Holiday and Christmas Season. Also on a very sad and devastating note, many of you may have been in Aquatic Display on 76th and Oklahoma. The owner, Jeff, passed away this week at way too young of an age. I knew Jeff from before he opened his store many years ago, an exceptional man. We pray for his wife Alicia and his entire family to find the strength to cope with this loss. I can not imagine what they must be going through.